Customer Reviews

The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook: With More Than 1,000 Recipes for Choosing, Cooking, & Preserving Natural Ingredients

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading Michael Pollan I decided to try and turn away from processed foods and this book has come to my rescue. I cannot say enough good about this book! I have tried dozens of recipes and have yet to be really disappointed (although I now know yogurt-based soups aren't my thing). I would especially recommend the Moroccan Lamb Stew and the New Mexican Green Chili, which are my two favorite recipes.

There are literally hundreds of recipes from well known staples like apple pies and pork chops to more exciting elaborate international dishes. None of them seem to require any sort of special cooking skills beyond the basics. I truly belief anyone could pick up this book and use it.

Furthermore, beyond the tasty recipes this book is an invaluable source of information: what foods are in season when, how to make you're own cheese, how to can foods, how to clean a fish-- it's a veritable treasure trove of all kind of kitchen knowledge, which is fascinating reading even if you don't ever plan on using in it. The introductory material also includes a run down of the types of equipment you'll need, the pros and cons of various choices (e.g. cast iron skillets over telfon), what types of fats and oils work best where, the legal definitions of various label terms (whole wheat, organic) etc.

This cookbook is not a preachy tome about lifestyle choices with tasteless recipes. Even if you're not into making that kind of lifestyle switch, you will find tons of tasty healthful choices. This book has practically become my Bible, a Joy of Cooking for my generation.

As my own personally testimony, having switched from a diet of mixed whole foods and processed foods (and more diet soda than one person should ever drink) to a nearly exclusive whole foods diet, I feel great. I have more energy and feel more alive and present in my own life. I would definitely recommend it.

I am going to keep this review short, sweet, and to the point. I own shelves-full of cookbooks. I quite simply love to cook, love to eat, and love to read cookbooks. I am also very concerned about eating healthy, sustainable, seasonal and natural products. I am so impressed with the thoroughness of purpose to this book, and every recipe I have tried has been superb. I have to be honest and say that I wish nutrition facts were included for the recipes, but other than that I have no complaints. It is a truly comprehensive guide to cooking with whole foods. Wonderful.

I grew up on a diet of hamburger helper and frozen t.v. dinners until I read Laurel's Kitchen. I bought Rodale's first version of this back in 1981. My mom just rolled her eyes. It was full of adventures from simple recipes to exotic recipes that took days to prepare. I hardly ever stumbled even though I'd never eaten anything like what was offered in this book. Decades of use the cover was held together with duck tape, the book would fall open to the most used recipes and here and there a page would stick together. I started looking for a replacement since I doubted the book would hold together much longer. Then I saw it! A new version with even more recipes!! When the new cookbook arrived I went through it to assure myself that all my favorites were still in there before I sent my old version to the big recycling bin in the sky.

This book is dedicated to presenting whole foods and a healthier fare. It talks about how to select healthier foods in the section called At the Market. There are so many ethnic recipes to pick from, so many everyday recipes to choose, how-to's to cooking, ingredients that are becoming easier to find and a section of preserving. Joy of Cooking you are so out of here!

I am a whole foods eater and was a little disappointed with this cookbook. Not many pictures and I was surprised at seeing nonfat dry milk as a suggested ingredient in several recipes. Nonfat dry milk is not a whole food (I would argue that any nonfat dairy is not really a whole food). Then again, maybe I'm being too picky. There are some great recipes in here as well, I haven't tried that many yet.

This is a fabulous cookbook full of great recipes. The book is definitely a book of balance. Nothing insanely complicated nor boringly simple - great for someone who has a little bit of time to spend in the kitchen (45 min-hour). Meals that are good enough to serve to company. Are all the ingredients whole foods? No, but I think it is a GREAT resource for people who want to eat healthfully but maybe can't afford or find all the hard-to-get ingredients or don't want to switch to a 100% whole foods diet. The majority of ingredients can be found in a normal grocery store, which I love. A lot of things (like barbecue sauce, or ketchup) can be as processed or whole as you want depending on your budget and access to ingredients.

Lots of fantastic recipes. Wide range of ingredients and flavors. Foods like cheese and dairy tend to be used more as seasonings than main ingredients, which I love - sensible servings that add a lot of flavor.

It'd be nice to have the nutritional info for recipes, but it's easy enough to calculate by yourself.

Very happy to have found this cookbook! It's fabulous. I don't think I'll cook from any other book for a while.

Well, I obviously haven't tried every recipe (Did you notice that there are 1,000?), but what I have tried was fantastic. The book has recipes that everyone can enjoy, I have a couple of favorites that my family loves and are pretty easy to make (yogurt chicken and yogurt coffee cake, specifically). The introductory pages are definitely for beginner cooks, which for some could be a draw back but since I'm currently 16 I like all of that information on cooking rather than relying on guesswork and luck. But not only does the introductory section have things along the lines of "this is a spatula," it also has tips on how to use sprouts that have gone slimy and what exactly package claims mean (I really appreciated the clarification of organic versus natural, since it seems to be a gray area for some people). Recipes cover appetizers and main courses to snacks and preserving, so there's no lack of variety. Overall, I love my copy and would recommend it to anyone in need of a broad-subject cookbook to have on hand.

This book has almost everything you could possibly want. I love the book. The only thing I would add is a calorie counter and fat content at the end of each receipe. If I could only have one cookbook, this would be it.

Not a lot that can be added that hasn't been said already.

The recipes (like Rack of lamb w/ Pomegranate Jus!) are fantastic.

The "Substitutions" chart is indispensable

The conversion charts -- excellent

...and then you add on everything from Canning, to equipment. This makes a perfect "Core" cookbook that covers everything the home-cook is likely to need.

Giving this item as a gift, but may have to get one for myself. Lots of unique recipes and step by step instructions great for a beginner.

I opened this book to a random page when it arrived and it opened at a great recipe for roasted fennel! It was so simple. I wish I had thought of it. But, I've already thought of variations on the theme. (I like to make my own concoctions.) After browsing some, I found this to be a treasure trove. For the most part, these are not difficult recipes. There are plenty of basics and some unique ideas--like with the fennel, which is not a vegetable we have often, but which I have used to make a special soup. Now we'll be able to enjoy it cooked another way. I'm very satisfied that this will be a great addition to my collection of cookbooks--and most importantly, that it will be one I will actually use.